Florida recorded more unprovoked shark bite incidents than any other U.S. state in 2025, according to the International Shark Attack File compiled by the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.
The report found that the United States had the highest number of unprovoked shark bites globally last year, with 25 incidents—about 38 % of the worldwide total. Florida accounted for 11 of those bites, more than any other state, though none were fatal.
Within Florida, Volusia County on the east coast had the largest share of bites, continuing a long-standing pattern of shark-human interactions in the region.
Nationally, there was one U.S. fatality, in central California where a 55-year-old triathlete was killed in a shark encounter off Monterey Bay.
Globally, the report confirmed 65 unprovoked shark bites in 2025, a figure close to the ten-year average, with nine fatalities, most occurring in Australia. Researchers note that while bite counts vary year to year, the overall risk to individuals remains low relative to the number of people entering the ocean annually.
Here are the specific Florida locations where the 11 unprovoked shark bites occurred in 2025, according to the International Shark Attack File data reported in the University of Florida’s annual shark-bite summary:
Florida (Total: 11 bites in 2025)
- Volusia County – 6 bites (the majority in the state)
- Broward County – 2 bites
- Lee County – 2 bites
- Miami-Dade County – 1 bite
Volusia County includes New Smyrna Beach, a well-known area for shark-human interactions, though the report groups the bites at the county level rather than listing individual beaches.
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